Ladies and Gentlemen
It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry when you see
snow coming down on May 15th. In the spirit of “I Am Canadian” – Gotta
love this kind of weather.
Monday May 16th will start with an experiment
as the four-way traffic stop at King and Elizabeth will be unveiled. This has
been the hottest topic on social media for the last month. Time to see what
will really happen. At 5:00 pm you are invited to GBGH for the monthly Citizens
Healthcare Steering Committee meeting. The meeting will be planning for the
June public meeting - a way to keep us engaged in all things healthcare in our
community.
Tuesday the 17th will start at 8:30 am for the
four mayors, as we take further action on proper funding for GBGH and other mid-sized
hospitals in Ontario. This past Thursday, Mayors Cornell, Marshall and I met
with the Ministry of Health officials and laid out our issues with:
-
The need for the Penetanguishene health hub
-
Proper funding for GBGH
While there were no breakthroughs, Ministry staff agreed
that we should be more directly involved with the LHIN and the Ministry in
coming up with needed solutions.
At 6:00 pm there will be a special
meeting of Council concerning our MPUC. This meeting is a continuation of Council’s
discussion on where we want to go with our electricity distribution resource. Regulatory
and environmental changes have led Council to agree that the status quo for our
MPUC is not an option. Council will use this meeting to decide on whether a
sale or a merger scenario is preferred and what the ultimate objectives of that
arrangement should be. The open meeting will be followed by a closed meeting
where Council will consider a matter concerning solicitor-client privilege.
At 6:30 pm at the Library is the
second in a series of presentations on how to start, grow and expand your
business. The series is brought to you
by NSCFDC, the County and the Library.
Wednesday May 18th features a half-day seminar
at the County Museum starting at 9:00 am about the 20,000 homes project – an initiative
supported by the County to have 20,000 affordable homes constructed in Canada. At 1:00 pm, the Georgian Bay Native
Friendship Centre is launching a fascinating project to map the history of
indigenous people through story telling. So if you have a relevant story, you
may wish to attend.
Thursday will be one of those days as County Councilors meet
at the Simcoe County Museum for a full day of strategic planning.
On Friday May 20th at 9:00 am I am at County once
more for the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. The Committee is about to release a guideline
to all municipalities about the measures that they
can take to significantly engage public and private sector partners in building
affordable housing within their community.
The Town of Midland, in conjunction with the
County of Simcoe, is providing a Free Compost and Mulch Giveaway from 9:00 am
to 4:00 pm in the NSSRC parking lot. Bring
your own bag and be ready to load your own compost/mulch. In addition, the Town
is offering a free Rain Barrel to the first 150 residents (proof of residency
is required).
Weekend
Saturday
-
9:00 to 4:00 pm - Free mulch giveaway
continues – see Friday details.
Sunday
-
8:00 pm – Midland’s Jessica Lalonde with the Huronia
Hot Strings at the MCC
Enjoy your May long weekend – Town offices will be closed
on Monday May 23.
Council Issues Update
GBGH
Lots going on this week. The mayors had a series of meetings
with ministry officials – mayor Marshall was even able to meet briefly with Minister
Hoskins. GBGH has provided further information on the impact that insufficient
funding is having on their operations. Our active citizens group in conjunction
with the Ontario Health Coalition is organizing a “voting plebiscite” to have
the province stop the cuts to hospitals services. It’s well organized with the many
voting locations in Midland open until May 27th. If you wish to take
part you can vote at:
·
8 Ball Express - 847 Vinden St.
·
Arcade & Jory Guardian Pharmacy - 286
King St.
·
Chigamik - 845 King St.
·
Clinic IDA Pharmacy - 952 Jones Rd.
·
Dollar Tree - Mountainview Mall - 9226
Highway 93
·
Georgian Bakery - 253 King St.
·
Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre - 175
Yonge St.
·
Giant Tiger - Huronia Mall - 9225 Highway 93
·
Huronia Medical Centre - hallway in front of
the Clinic Pharmacy - 240 Penetang Rd.
·
Meatland - 229 Midland Ave.
·
Midland Golf and Country Club - 9536 Highway 93
·
North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre -
527 Len Self Blvd.
·
Shopper's Drug Mart - 9186 Highway 93
·
Wye Heritage Marina - Ogden's Beach Rd.
*****
Midland’s first Walk a Mile in Her
Shoes event is scheduled for Saturday June 25th at 10 am starting at
the pavilion in Little Lake Park. The event is organized by the Ys Men Club
with all proceeds going to our Rosewood Shelter. While this event involves fundraising
it is more about having men take a public stand for ending violence against
women. You can sign up or join a
walking team at http://midlandysmensclub.ca/events/walk-a-mile-in-her-shoes/
I will be walking as part of Team
Midland. If you wish to sponsor your mayor, please go to the site and make your
statement.
Gord McKay
Your
Year for Getting Aboard – Midland is on the Move - 2016
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